Jeramiah Red performs at the 2013 OC Music Awards Best Live Band Showcase Series at Founder's Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. DAVID HALL, FOR THE REGISTER

The annual OC Music Awards, which spotlights local up-and-coming talent while continuing to honor some of the county's long-established artists, returns for a 13th year at City National Grove of Anaheim on March 8. Months before the grand finale, the awards host their eight-week-long best live band showcase series, which kicks off at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

The free showcases each feature five local artists – selected from a pool of about 500 submissions – performing every Tuesday night in a variety of Orange County music venues through Feb. 25, when the top five finalists will compete for the title at The Observatory in Santa Ana. Unlike in previous years, the best live band winner will not be announced at the conclusion of the finals, but at the actual awards show.

“All five bands will still perform at the finals, but you'll have to tune in to the awards, because we'll be streaming live online, to see who the winner is if you're not at the actual show,” OC Music Awards producer Ashley Eckenweiler says. “All of the finalists will be invited and we'll show a showcase recap video, then the winner will be announced. We thought this was a good way to build up the momentum and keep the interest leading up to the show. (That award) had become a bit anticlimactic because everyone knew who won, so we just thought this would be more fun.”

Last year, OC Music Awards partnered with Red Bull to host a free seminar for those nominated in the nearly two dozen award categories. It featured host Kat Corbett of KROQ and guests Jay Bentley and Brian Baker of L.A.-based punk band Bad Religion. The three spoke about the ups and downs of the music industry and answered questions.

“We're going to do a similar type educational event outside of the showcase series schedule with Red Bull again this year, but we're still strategizing what that will look like,” Eckenweiler says. “We're also looking to add some new elements to the prize package (for the best live band winner) that are more educational-based, like consultations with companies that can help the band move forward in their career.”

Throughout the year, Eckenweiler says, local artists reach out to the awards with questions about things like how to obtain management, publicity, licensing, placement in television and film and legal matters.

“We want to be that source for them,” she says. “We want them to walk away from this experience and feel like they've learned something – gained a few new fans, learned how to license their music or get on a supporting slot on a major tour. We want to give them those tools and that's very important to us. Even more than the awards – which it's absolutely wonderful to give accolades and awards to the larger bands that should be recognized – giving opportunities to up-and-comers is key.”

The final event also gives newer acts the chance to mingle with members of bands like No Doubt, Avenged Sevenfold, Social Distortion and Young the Giant – Orange County-based acts that have gone on to mainstream success.

The full lineup of 2014 nominees will be revealed Jan. 9. The recipients of the OC Impact and Lifetime Achievement awards will be announced Feb. 10. Past OC Impact honorees have included Lit, Thrice, Sugar Ray, Social Distortion and the Vandals. The Lifetime Achievement award has gone to Pacific Symphony conductor Carl St.Clair, KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer, former OC Music Awards producer Martin Brown, and Stan Freese, talent, casting and booking director of Disney Entertainment Productions.

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